Skimm Extra Credit for 8/29
Quote of the Day:
“Make Mexico Great Again, Also!”
-quote on a hat worn by Rudy Giuliani and Senator Jeff Sessions
We’re Not Paying for That…
The Story:
The Republican Presidential Candidate for the United States, Donald Trump, made a visit somewhat rushed visit to Mexico City to meet with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto at the Pines, the official residence of the Mexican President, on Wednesday.
What Happened?
The meeting between President Nieto and Trump was very brief, despite the Trump Campaign statement that the infamous “Wall” was not discussed. However, President Nieto stated later that that was the first thing he stated in his brief meeting with Trump. President Nieto was using this opportunity to show that the United States and Mexico have a “deep bond” and that provides a healthy relationship between the two countries. Trump used the opportunity to outline his five points, stopping illegal immigration, securing the border and the option to build a wall, modifying the North American Free Trade Agreement, and maintaining manufacturing in the Americas, and intelligence cooperation.
The Place Beyond the Pines
It’s not a happy place for President Nieto who is now facing a large amount of domestic backlash in Mexico for his meeting with Donald Trump. Some in Mexico see it as their President giving credibility to not just Donald Trump, but also the derogatory statements he has repeatedly made about the Mexican people. It also did not help President Nieto that just hours after the meeting in a rally in Phoenix, Arizona Trump made more anti-immigration and anti-Mexican remarks.
When Excessive Force Becomes a Literal War Crime.
The Story:
President Nieto removed the Chief of the Mexican Federal Police (Policía Federal), Enrique Galindo, from his position over allegations of ‘arbitrary executions’ of at least twenty-two drug cartel members by the police.
What Happened?
The firing of Chief Enrique Galindo by President Nieto was done after an investigation into Federal Police activities, specifically an incident last May that resulted in the death of forty-two civilians and one police officer at a ranch in Tanhuato. The Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission of CNDH found in their investigation that the Federal Police had expended around 4,000 rounds of ammunition and the use of a military Black Hawk helicopter during the incident seemed excessive by the commissions standard. What really stood out were the casualties of the operation where twenty-two men were arbitrarily executed by the police with numerous more killed and tortured. Most damning beyond these numbers are the efforts of the Federal Police to cover up the incident by burning bodies and other methods discovered by the CNDH investigation.
The Blurring Line between the Army and Police
This incident and numerous other events involving the Mexican Federal Police have further tarnished the image of the police in Mexico. This incident highlights the growing problem of what defines the police and military when they seem to be carrying similar equipment and using similar tactics. The simple fact that this specific incident was so horrific that a Human Rights Commission conducted the investigation, when those same organizations are usually associated with military or war crimes tells a clear story. A story that cannot be comforting to the Mexican people.
Nothing to See Here, Move Along. Even Better Just Leave.
The Story:
Miami Herald Andean bureau chief Jim Wyss was detained by Venezuelan authorities and expelled from the country while he was traveling into the country to cover opposition rallies against President Maduro.
What Happened?
Jim Wyss was traveling to Caracas, Venezuela to cover the upcoming protests by the opposition to President Maduro’s administration in the upcoming election. That same day at least 2 journalists from Al Jazeera and various other news organizations had been turned away from entry into Venezuela by the countries immigration and customs service. Wyss is based out of Bogota, Columbia and commonly travels between several South American countries that are part of his Andean desk. Wyss is not unknown to Venezuelan authorities because of this routine, but he and his fellow foreign journalists were denied entry just the same.
No Pictures…Or Words, Please.
The fact that Venezuelan officials are restricting foreign press to hopefully downplay the extent or impact of the oppositional protests to President Maduro have spectacularly backfired. The expulsion of foreign press is not going to generate goodwill on the behalf of journalists worldwide who are going to focus on the expulsion of their comrades from a country. If anything this action just makes the situation in Venezuela look worse and President Maduro look more authoritarian than democratic.
Articles in Order of Usage
http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-trailguide-updates-twitter-flabbergasted-at-new-make-1472732963-htmlstory.html
http://www.npr.org/2016/08/31/492132967/in-mexico-trump-reaffirms-u-s-right-to-protect-its-borders
http://www.newyorker.com/news/amy-davidson/extreme-trump-from-mexico-to-phoenix
http://www.dw.com/en/mexico-sacks-federal-police-chief-amid-arbitrary-executions-scandal/a-19511894
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-37217177
http://www.cndh.org.mx/sites/all/doc/OtrosDocumentos/Doc_2016_021.pdf
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article99168072.html